There's growing pressure on governments to introduce regular cancer screening for fulltime and volunteer firefighters. Research has linked firefighters’ exposure to smoke and toxic chemicals to increased cancer rates.
00:00After more than a decade as a volunteer firefighter, Matthew Petch isn't on the fire ground this year.
00:08Trying to stop the fire from coming across.
00:11About a year ago, the Kalamunda man was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, an unusual bile duct cancer.
00:18It just rocked our worlds, it rocked the family's worlds, my world.
00:22After a visit to the doctor, Matthew Petch says he's started to connect the dots.
00:26I thought about it and I said, look, actually I have been part of the volunteer fire and rescue.
00:30And he clicked his fingers and he said, oh, that's where it'll be from.
00:35The World Health Organisation classifies firefighting as a group one carcinogen, meaning there's evidence the job can cause cancer in humans.
00:43Matthew Petch wants firefighters to be regularly screened for early signs of the disease.
00:48So we've got treatment this week.
00:50In Collie, it's already happening with the local volunteer brigade partnering with the GP to screen the town's firefighters for any abnormalities.
00:59We'd like to see it further rolled out and further promoted by the organisation.
01:04The risk is on the minds of career firefighters too.
01:07See one or two friends or people from Perth, you know, acquaintance as you know, leave the job due to cancer or take a significant time off work.
01:15The United Professional Firefighters Union says current testing falls short of what's needed.
01:20The Department of Fire and Emergency Services is reviewing the medical assessments it provides.
01:25Across Australia, governments will compensate firefighters who contract some cancers.
01:30In WA, Matthew Petch's cancer isn't covered.
01:34I have massive regrets of obviously exposing myself to those risks.
01:40He thinks authorities need to take more responsibility for those on the fire ground.
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